I recently found a source for local raw milk and was eager to make the $6.50 a gallon I'm spending worth my while. I started by skimming the cream to make whipped cream and butter, both equally delicious and deserving of their own posts which I am sure will come in time. I decided that the best way for our family to make money off of this was to make our own yogurt. At around $4.00 for a 16 oz container of all natural or organic yogurt in the store, of which we go through at least one per week, I could make our yogurt for much less and have control over what ingredients are used. After much research and a little experimenting I found that making yogurt really couldn't be any easier!
I have now made yogurt from raw milk, raw pasteurized milk, and organic homogenized milk. I have used freeze dried starter, store bought yogurt as my starter, and previous batches of homemade yogurt as my starter. Here are my notes and observations on each:
Milks
Raw milk: Without heating to 180F my yogurt turned out slimy and stringy, about the consistency of egg whites. I have read of people having success with it, but I'm not planning to waste any more of my good (and expensive) raw milk trying.
Raw pasteurized milk: I skimmed most of the cream off, so I still had a tiny bit of cream on top of my yogurt. It didn't have quite the smooth consistency of yogurt made with homogenized milk, but had a wonderful taste. I strained it using a coffee filter to remove some of the whey and produce a thicker, more Greek-like yogurt. I saved the whey for soaking grains. Waste not, want not! This is my favorite milk to start with!
Organic homogenized milk: I used 2%, but you could use any. The less fat you use the thinner your product tends to be. Some people add gelatin or powdered milk as thickeners, but I'd rather just strain off the whey. At $5 for a gallon of organic milk at the store you're still saving a good deal of money in the long run by making your own yogurt.
Starters
Store bought yogurt: Make sure to choose a yogurt you like because your product will basically be a clone of what you start with. You always want to use a plain yogurt! I'd recommend an organic one like Nancy's or Organic Valley. I have used Mountain High Plain, but plan to try others in the future. You'll need about 1/2-1 cup per 32 oz of milk.
Freeze dried: I used
YoGourmet Starter which is available in the refrigerated natural foods section of Fred Meyer for about $5, also at Pilgrim's and Wishful Kneads for a little bit more. Each box makes six quarts of yogurt. The final product was much more tart than I preferred, but I did let it ferment longer than the recommended 3.5 hours. I can't say that I am pleased with the ingredient list which includes powdered milk. I found this site -
Cultures for Health and hope to try some of their offerings in the near future!
Previous homemade batches: I used yogurt I'd made with the Mountain High starter with much less success. The "second generation" was not nearly as firm and was more tart than the first. I plan to try a second generation from yogurt made with the freeze dried start and will report back on that.
A note about starters: You can freeze your starters in pre-measured portions for later use. In my research I read about one couple that had over 30 different starts in their freezer! There is definitely something to be said for a little variety!
Flavoring Your Yogurt
It is best to flavor your yogurt after it has fully fermented and chilled as I have read (not experienced) that the sugars can inhibit the fermenting process. Recently I have loved stirring in organic raspberries and homemade lemon curd. It's very refreshing! Someday I will devote a post entirely to yogurt mix-ins and toppings, I promise!
Think you're ready to tackle this? You are. It's super easy. I promise!
Tools needed:
Crock pot
Thermometer
Sauce pan
4 pint-sized mason jars with lids (the plastic lids will do nicely)
32 oz milk - any kind or fat content will do
Starter - from a previous batch, store bought, or freeze dried. If using freeze dried, follow instructions on the package.
1. If using a previous batch or store bought start, remove it from the fridge and allow it to begin warming to room temperature.
2. Heat your milk on the stove to 180 degrees F. This step is very important! You are basically re-pasteurizing the milk so that you have a nice cozy place for the good bacteria you're going to introduce later and ensuring that there are no competing strains of bad bacteria.
3. Cool the milk to 110 degrees F. Mix starter into approximately 1 cup of the warm milk until thoroughly mixed, then gently stir into remaining milk. The first part of this step is key! If you wait too long the starter won't start and if you don't wait long enough you will kill the bacteria and will end up with warm, sour milk which no one likes!
4. Divide milk + starter concoction evenly among the four mason jars and put lids on.
5. Place filled jars into crock pot and fill with warm water to just below the rings of the jars. You want the water to be between 100-115 degrees F. and absolutely no hotter than 118 degrees F.!
6. Set crock pot to lowest setting and leave the lid off. (At least this is how it works best with mine. You may need to leave yours on or use a higher setting. I recommend monitoring the temperature for two to three hours with just water in your crock so you don't waste any milk.)
7. Check the temperature of the water periodically to make sure that it does not exceed 118 degrees F. You may need to add ice, turn the crock pot off or up from time to time to maintain the ideal temperature of 110 degrees F.
8. Wait. Depending on how strong your starter is you will need to let it ferment for anywhere from 3 to 12 hours. You will know it is done when you lift the jar and tilt it to the side a little and the yogurt holds its shape. Generally, the longer you ferment the firmer and more tart your yogurt will be.
9. Allow to chill for 12 hours. It will firm up a bit while chilling, but not lots.
10. Enjoy!
